The present invention generally relates to methods and apparatus for storing information, and more particularly relates to storing medical information on electronic transfer media.
Prescriptions for medicines, drugs, or other medical items are presently written or typed on pieces of paper. The paper is then submitted to a pharmacist or other fulfiller of medical prescriptions to be filled. Where the prescription has been hand-written, it is left to the pharmacist to interpret the handwriting, sometimes poor, of the prescribing medical practitioner. Furthermore, the pharmacist must determine whether the prescription may have been modified, or, indeed, whether the prescription is valid or has been written on a stolen or otherwise illegally acquired prescription form.
In the case of typewritten prescriptions, the handwriting legibility is less of a problem, but the questions regarding modification and validity may still remain.
In a highly mobile society such as the one in which we presently reside, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have prescriptions filled in areas where the particular medical practitioner is not located, for reasons such as unfamiliarity with the medical practitioner, his signature, and other indicia upon which pharmacists or other entities for filling prescriptions may rely to judge the validity of a particular prescription.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a secure method and apparatus for holding medical prescription and other sensitive medical data, perhaps provided by a medical practitioner to a patient, and allowing the secure transfer of such data to others that may have a reason to access the data. In addition, it is desirable for a receiver of such sensitive medical data or prescriptions to be able to validate the origin of the information and the validity thereof. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.